Jeanne Folly, J.L Hennig, VXZ 375, Hektor Zazou, Bazooka – La Perversita [LP] (1979, Invisible Records, S.C.O.P.A)

 

Born of a French father and Spanish mother in pre-independence Algeria, Hector Zazou first recorded in the mid-'70s under the name ZNR, as one half of a duo with Joseph Racaille. This early work is light but engaging French chamber jazz, lyrical and quirky, with Zazou playing keyboards and violin. The music has long since lost any radical edge, and the sparse instrumentation gives most of the pieces more the sound of musical sketches than fully realized compositions, but in ZNR, Zazou begins to demonstrate his interest in unusual instrumental timbres and colors, as well as his eclectic musical imagination. Throughout the rest of the 1970s and into the early '80s, Zazou's musical efforts (whatever they might have been), are not represented by any readily available recordings, but some experiments in musical erotica were conducted under the name 'La Perversita', a rare great LP with artwork made by Kiki Picasso, and a production of the famous Bazooka group, a French, Paris based (punk) artists collective formed by Kiki Picasso, Loulou Picasso, Lulu Larsen, Olivia Clavel, Jean Rouzaud, Bernard Vidal and also Philippe Bailly, active during late 70s and early 80s. They collaborated with French newspaper Libération and other magazines like Actuel. They also edited their own magazine "Le Regard Moderne" and several others. 

 

In this release Hector Zazou collaborates with journalist and writers Jeanne Folly, J.L. Henning, and VXZ 375 (Bruno Taravant). This album is post-punk that's very, very sparse when it's not all atonal and chaotic, treading into legit minimalism territory on tracks like the eleven and a half minute "I Love You S..." (which at times sounds so similar to what would become post-rock that it's eerie) while still managing to have a slight-but-noticeable funk/groove angle. Both cover tracks, "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Satisfaction", are completely deranged nonsense, Henry Kaiser shows up outta nowhere to do two minutes of No Wave guitar splutterings for "On Dine", and "La Soupeuse" is an eleven minute "this is clearly French" rewrite of Iggy Pop's "Mass Production", but with even less interest in melody and a steady backbone of guitar feedback and hypnotic drumming. It's a mess, but it's one of them wildly intriguing messes that definitely worth a listen. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC] 

 

Label: Invisible Records – SCOPA 10 005, S.C.O.P.A. – SCOPA 10 005 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: France 

Released: 1979
Style: Experimental, New Wave, Leftfield, Minimal Techno, Minimal Wave, No Wave

 

Tracklist:

Face Pile 

A1 Strawberry Fields For Ever 3:49 

A2 5'... Et Quelque De Bonheur... 5:43 

A3 I Love You S... 11:54 

Face Face 

B1 Satisfaction 2:29 

B2 Para Bokassa 4:16 

B3 On Dine 1:55 

B4 La Soupeuse 10:33 

B5 Untitled 0:26 

 

Notes:

Including the revue called PERVERS n°1 by Bazooka (two black and white posters: 58 x 27,5 cm, with artworks, texts, and a select from the lyrics printed on both sides, generally each poster is folded into four 29 x 29cm squares) 

Track B5 is not listed on the cover or label; it contains a brief reprise snippet from "Satisfaction". 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE